Impeoved skating flooe



H.P.GENGEMBRE Skating Floor.

No. 59.906. Patented Nov. 20,1866.

i I 0 KM 'a In' s Q/ III Witnesses Jhvenhfi' N. PETERS. Pholn-Iilhograpiw. Wflhinglun. n1;

guitar tabs item ffim- IMPBOVED SKATING FLOOR.

SP OIF IGATI'ON- TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, H.'P. GENGnMBRE, of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and improved Skating Floor; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and clear description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a, sectional elevation of my improved skatingfloor, through the line w x.

Figure 2 is a top view of the same, and

Figure 3 is again a sectional view of my skating floor, exhibiting another arrangement of the apparatus -to obtain the same result as in figs. 1 and 2.

My invention consists in a skating floor made by producing a sheet of ice on a peculiarly constructed floor, and the construction of that floor as hereafter described.

A isa floor formed by the assemblage of a certain number of boxes, (1 a a" a' a"", &c., and having all round a ledge or rim, B. These boxes, a a a a, 850., are set perfectly level on a suitable framework or on the ground; the joints between them are made perfectly water-tight, and their under part is well protected by a non-conductor of heat. The boxes, a a a." a, &c., are connected one with the other, -or they are all connected with a central vessel, D,'by pipes P P P P, and the whole battery of boxes is connected to a refrigerating apparatus, R, by one or more pipes. This disposition maybe made in different manner, according to the process adopted for producing the cold, either by' the evaporation of liquids, or by the liquefaction of solid substances.

S is a pump, and M is a motive power for inducing a circulation in the boxes a a" 4'. In myfig. .1 I have represented the apparatus adapted to the use of an aqueous solution ofsalts as'a circulating medium for transporting the cold, produced'in the refrigerator R, to the boxes, a a. a. a, &c.; and in my -fig. 3 I have represented the apparatus as arranged for allowing the vaporizing of liquids to be made in the boxes, a a a a',

themselves, but in both the result is the same, and I do not wish to be restricted to the use of one of these plans to the exclusion of the other. i I v The operation of my skating floor is as follows: The floor boxes, a a a" a', &c., being swept clean, a

certain quantity of water is allowed to flow upon it, until a sheet of water of the desired thickness is obtained, W

from one fourth inch to three inches, according to circumstances.- When the sheet of water is perfectly still, the refrigerating apparatus is put in motion, and very soon the contents of all the boxes at a a" a! a', 8m will be lowered in temperature; this in turn will absorb heat from the boxes, a a a", themselves and these boxes being soon a'll brought down to a low degree of heat will convert the sheet of water resting on them into a sheet of ice, strongly adhering to the top of said boxes. When a sheet of ice is obtained, by continuing the action of the refrigerating apparatus, the temperature of the sheet of ice can be lowered, so as to counteract the action of the air on its upper surface, prevent it from melting, and keep it in perfect order for skating. It

will be remarked that the sheet of ice, having a perfectbearing all over on a strong and unyielding floor, will not be required so thick for skating as when a sheet of ice is floating on water, and that skating will be made perfectly safe.

What I claim as my invention, isi 1. Producing a sheet of ice for a skating floor by freezing, from the under side, a sheet of water, as described.

2. The floor A, composed of a number of boxes, at a a", &c., in combination with a refrigerating apparatus, R, arranged as described, and for the purpose specified. z i

3. A skating floor, composed of a sheet of ice resting on the floor A, as. described, or its equivalent, and

kept from melting, as specified.

H. P. GENGEMBRE.

Witnesses A. A. Hmnr, Camus Dar. 

